MA Conservation of The Historic Environment

Tutors:

Katriona Byrne Tim Lewis, PhD candidate, Guest Lecturer and Visiting Tutor

The postgraduate courses in Conservation of the Historic Environment recruited very well this academic year with students in Year 1, Year 2 and on a thesis-only module.

The course is aimed at mid-career professionals or contractors with a delivery format of Friday and Saturday teaching, so most of the students are in full-time employment. It also attracts people who are changing careers and some newly-graduated students. This leads to a fascinating cross section of skills, interests and professional knowledge. The course fits in well with the expanded Birmingham School of Architecture and Design, with courses in historic landscapes and historic interiors, as well as a strong emphasis on conservation philosophy and understanding the significance of existing buildings and their sustainable futures. The course continues to offer Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for architects, surveyors, engineers, contractors or home owners.

One of the important aspects of the courses is the number of specialist lecturers used to deliver the workshops, all experts in their fields and some at the forefront of new research. Officers from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust, Historic England, English Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland were amongst those who gave an insight into the reality of the industry. Site visits and tours were led by conservation architects and conservation officers and demonstrated conservation in practice on the ground.

In Year 1 there were tours of different conservation areas. The course leader brought students around Digbeth to undertake area characterisation; then we

visited the world-famous Jewellery Quarter with David Mahoney conservation architect and we were guided around the chocolate suburb of Bournville by Andrew Fuller conservation officer, to consider planning and conservation issues.

In Year 2 students learned to assess the defects of buildings and propose remedial measures. Visits were made to Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, known now as the grandfather of the skyscraper, to consider the radical structural solution there by Historic England; and to Christopher Wray’s Emporium with James Phillips and the former Aston Central Fire Station to consider reuse and energy efficiency.

Understanding and improving the financial and environmental sustainability of historic buildings is another important part of the course, and students have been working with Building Preservation Trusts to consider options appraisals for both redundant places of worship and secular buildings. An old cinema and a workingman’s club were considered by the students. Another is the practical nature of the course, with students getting hands-on experience and understanding of traditional building materials. The knowledge of lime as a mortar, plaster, render or limewash is the cornerstone of working with pre-1919 buildings and structures, and all students have a go at mixing mortars, as well as plastering onto lath, and repointing stonework at Llanymynech Limeworks in North Shropshire.

Many of the practical workshops had to be delivered online over the Summer. There were several highlights to the Year 1 workshops this year, including films of blacksmiths forge-welding, online demonstrations by stonemason Matt Faber and a virtual tour of twentiethcentury buildings in Birmingham city by Joe Holyoak. For Year 2 students the workshops culminated in an inspirational guide to the Picturesque landscape at Hagley Hall by Joe Hawkins as part of the Estates, Parks and Gardens workshop.

Awards to students included the Twentieth Century Society West Midlands Award given to Sian Bradley and the Milestone Society Award given to Anna Jacka; Anna

Jacka also gained a prestigious Gus Astley Award from the IHBC; Alexa Woodward was given first prize in the Church Project by Camilla Finlay with commendations to Catherine Fenghour and Anna Jacka. Frank Coyne was granted the Donald Insall Award for best Conservation Management Plan and Caitlin Osborne the commended prize under the same award.

Katriona Byrne Course Director MA Conservation of the Historic Environment